Using Flipper Zero as a USB-to-UART Serial Bridge
flipper zerouartserialdebuggingesp32
Flipper Zero can act as a USB serial adapter — useful when you need to communicate with a microcontroller or embedded device and don't have an FTDI cable handy.
What This Does
Your computer ↔ USB ↔ Flipper ↔ UART ↔ Target device
Flipper bridges your PC's USB serial port to the hardware UART on its GPIO pins.
Wiring
| Flipper Pin | Target Device |
|---|---|
| Pin 17 (TX) | RX on target |
| Pin 18 (RX) | TX on target |
| Pin 2 (GND) | GND on target |
Cross the TX/RX lines — Flipper TX → Target RX, Flipper RX → Target TX.
Important: Target device must be 3.3V UART logic. Use a level shifter for 5V systems.
On Flipper
- Apps → GPIO → UART Terminal
- Or from the USB UART Bridge app
- Set baud rate to match your device (most common: 115200, 9600, 57600)
On the Computer
- Connect Flipper via USB
- Flipper appears as a CDC virtual COM port
- Open any serial terminal:
- Windows: PuTTY, Tera Term
- Mac/Linux:
screen /dev/tty.usbmodem* 115200 - Type commands — they arrive at the target device via Flipper
Common Use Cases
- Debug Arduino/ESP32 over serial without a separate FTDI
- Access a router or SBC serial console
- Talk to any UART-based device or module
- Monitor sensor data from embedded systems
Baud Rate Reference
| Device | Common Baud Rate |
|---|---|
| ESP32 | 115200 |
| Arduino Uno | 9600 or 115200 |
| Raspberry Pi serial console | 115200 |
| GPS modules | 9600 |
| LoRa modules | 9600 |